As I sat in the waiting room at an office here in Searcy, I overheard a couple of employees having a conversation. They were asking each other when was the last time either one of them had been to church.

As I listened in I thought about what they might say, this area here being the bible belt and all. I thought they might both say a week or two. Nope! They both said it had been a year. So meaning it was around Christmas time was the lastime they entered through the doors of a Church building. It kind of surprised me the length of their stay away from worship. But it being the Christmas season and all, that was the only day they thought it was important to go.

I had grown up with a lot of friends who went to church only 3 times a year. Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday and Easter. Their religion must think God is only responsive and merciful on those days only. Kind of works like a Kmart blue light special, its only on sale when the Blue Light is on. Is that what these certain churches teach their flock. Do they put more emphasis on these days and less emphasis on the other 362 days of the year.

We recently had a sermon on the "Importance of going to Worship." He made some good points about attending worship.

1) It brings glory to God's name, which is the most important part.

2) We need the goodness of the church body itself. We need the spritual nourishment of each other.

So if you don't go to worship for a year then I can't tell of the damage you have done to your soul. I think of all the people that I grew up with in the church that have totally gone astray. I can't find any reason for why they would go totally away from the church that deeply loved them. It would take me three or four hands to count how many I have in my mind right now. What could they be doing on a Sunday morning that's so much more important than worshiping the maker of this world. I know there was a time in my life when I didn't have perfect attendance in church, and trust me there was nothing to do that is more important than going to church.

It took us some time to find a church down here we liked. We tried to find churches here that were kind of away from the Harding crowd. Which we did find a small church in Judsonia that didn't have the Harding crowd in it at all. We were pretty happy there, then they had a split. That was one of the most unhappiest situations I have ever witnessed in my church going life. I was dissappointed by the manner of the way things were handled. It drove me away for a little bit from the worship scene. I wasn't dissappointed in God, I was dissappointed in the Christians there. We have found a church that has really grown to love us and really sees the importance of being there. But how churches can split it amazes me, but they do. That could be a good reason why some people leave the church and never come back. It could be they had there feelings hurt by someone in the church or they might not see the importance of going and find some better reason to not go.

I had a chance to stick my nose in the womens conversation but i didn't. I should have! But we as Christians need to show people that God is an everyday God. He's not just important on certain holidays. He's more important than sleeping in on Sunday's and more important than a church splitting or getting your feelings hurt by somebody else. Those are not good enough reasons to not show up. We as Christians need to follow up on those who have left the church find out why they haven't been there in years. Comfort them and reassure them that the church is not only there to sing songs or listen to a sermon, but it's there for to provide strength for your daily life outside the church. Also church is not there to just drop in on certain holidays and pay your respects either. It's open year around. Teach others the truth in love. Don't be harsh be comforting because that is what a lot of people need. Show them that the church is not an Elks meeting lodge but a place for healing and love.